Dubai
Having a life-threatening illness such as cancer can be an overwhelming experience and no one should have to face it alone. Patients need a strong support network. Their family, friends and healthcare providers can provide effective support. But, a group that is dedicated to catering to and understanding their needs can be a valuable resource.
According to the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), there are several support groups for patients battling cancer in the UAE. One of them is Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP), a charitable, volunteer-based foundation, based in Sharjah. The group was established in 1999 and has provided financial and emotional support to over 900 patients across the UAE. Their primary focus is on promoting awareness around early detectable cancers. They also provide transportation and food allowances for underprivileged cancer patients, facilitate in sending patients abroad for treatment, and psychological and moral support for patients and their families.
The volunteers involve people from the community — family members of patients who have undertaken the responsibility of helping, business owners, doctors and nurses.
In January, FoCP formed the Chronic Myloid Leukemia (CML) Support Group. The group is aiming to raise awareness about this particular type of Leukemia, cancer of the bone marrow or blood, and stress that CML is chronic, not terminal.
In an official press release, Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Secretary General for the FoCP, said: “CML patients are not terminally ill, and with proper medication, can lead full lives. According to hospital records in the UAE, the incidence of new cases is almost 25-30 patients per year. It is high time that CML patients had access to an effective support system that would spread awareness and address problems pertaining to treatment.”
Another support group that operates out of Al Ain’s Al Tawam Hospital is the Angels of Mercy. It provides psychological counselling and support to the cancer patients, survivors and their families. The organisers, a group of women, host educational programmes in schools and universities once a month to raise awareness about cancer. They also meet with patients and their families and allow them to express their emotions.
Sandy Jaloudi, one of the co-founders of the group, told Gulf News: “Our group is well established and connected to the staff at Al Tawam Hospital, which is the regional cancer centre in the UAE. We try to connect with as many patients as possible through the Oncology Clinics as well as the Breast Center. Creating community outreach and educational programmes are another way of connecting with patients. Our contact numbers are available at the clinics and patients can find us on social media.
“The way we emotionally support our patients is through our support group meetings. We get to know each patient individually and find out their particular needs. The most effective way is connecting a newly diagnosed patient with a same cancer survivor. We let them know that we are available to speak anytime.”
There is an old saying that you can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. A small group of women in Abu Dhabi have come forth to help people based on their own experiences. They are breast cancer survivors. The group, Bosom Buddies Abu Dhabi, was founded in 2003 and its main aim is to offer support to anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. They meet once a month to raise awareness about the illness and to meet with cancer patients to offer emotional support.
Melanie Gobert, a member of the group, told Gulf News: “We hold a meeting on the first Sunday of each month. We offer emotional support; we talk about what each of the person attending the session is going through. We offer advice about finding a good doctor and medical help in Abu Dhabi. We share our stories, our hopes, our fears, and our challenges. Some people want to know where to go for lymphatic drainage or to get a lymphatic arm sleeve fitted. Some people want to know about breast reconstruction surgery. We share all our own stories on these topics at our monthly meetings and people are also available for phone support and meeting people one on one.”
Helping cancer survivors to once again become an active member of society is also a crucial process. A Dubai-based group, the Pure Hearts for Cancer, works an international programme to empower cancer survivors to find a suitable employment opportunity. Established in 2011, the group focuses on helping patients after they have completed their treatment to resume their career. They plan to host annual job fairs and also have an online portal that connects employers with job seekers.
Apart from terminal illnesses, the UAE also has support groups for people with special needs. UAE Down Syndrome Agency is one of them. It’s a non-profit organisation that was established in September, 2006 by the Ministry of Social Affairs to support and improve the quality of life for people with Down’s syndrome. The World Health Organisation defines the illness as a disability caused by extra genetic material in chromosome 21.
The Dubai-based group hopes to promote the inclusion and empowerment of people suffering from this illness and allow them to achieve maximise their skills so that they can be an active part of society. They also raise awareness about the illness in the community with regular group sessions.
Another illness that is tackled by a support group set up by Al Ain’s Tawam Hospital is Multiple Sclerosis, an inflammatory disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. The primary mission of the UAE Multiple Sclerosis Support Group is to provide patients and their families with the support that they need in their life. They not only just raise awareness, but encourage patients and families to modify their lifestyles so that they can plan for the future. They hope to improve the quality of life for patients through educational and support group sessions. With these sessions, they also want to increase awareness among healthcare providers about Multiple Sclerosis, its diagnosis and treatment.
